The Jerusalem Inception - By Avraham Azrieli Page 0,132
bald head. Another round, and they lowered their Uzis and stood in attention while the military rabbi recited a final prayer.
A shovel rested by the grave. The paratroopers took turns to cover the coffin with soil. The captain was last. When the grave was filled, he saluted and marched off, followed by the others.
Only then did the bearded men approach the grave. Their black coats fluttered with the wind. Benjamin Mashash helped Rabbi Abraham Gerster kneel down by the fresh mound of soil.
A small cardboard sign on a wooden stick had been placed at the head of the grave. Through his binoculars, Elie could read it:
Private Jerusalem (“Lemmy”) Gerster
Killed in Battle, June 7, 1967
In the Defense of Israel
God Will Avenge His Blood
A taxicab appeared on the gravel path leading to the site. It stopped, and two women came out of the backseat. Elie watched Tanya and her daughter hurry toward the grave. A few black hats turned to face them, forming a human barrier. Tanya stumbled, and Bira supported her.
At the foot of the grave, Rabbi Abraham Gerster suddenly fell forward. The palms of his hands sank into the fresh soil. A terrible cry tore through the air: “Jerusalem!”
Among the pine trees, Elie’s gaunt face twitched. He dropped the burning cigarette and pressed it into the earth with the sole of his shoe. From his pocket he drew a telegram, which had arrived from his agent in Munich that morning, and read it again:
Wilhelm arrived on flight as scheduled. He’s recovering well. The burns will leave only minor scars on his back. He’s already making excellent progress with German pronunciation and grammar, but less so with French. Mood is dark at times, but he enjoys the driving lessons, albeit with youthful recklessness. Admission to Lyceum Alpin St. Nicholas confirmed for coming school year.
Elie put the telegram back in his pocket, satisfied. Soon Lemmy would grasp the importance of his mission and embrace his new life as a secret agent in the service of Israel. It was the life he had been destined for since birth. He was his father’s son. A natural.
Turning to leave, Elie paused at the sound of Tanya’s sobbing. He returned the binoculars to his eyes and watched her push through the black hats and drop to her knees next to Abraham, where they cried together by the heap of fresh soil.
THE END
Note to the Reader
While the characters and their deeds are fictional, the political and military leaders, as well as the historic events of 1966-67, are described as accurately as possible. The dire conditions in the divided city of Jerusalem, Israel’s international isolation in the face of an all-out Arab assault, and the Egyptian preparations to engulf the Jewish state in a cloud of poison gas, are all part of a well-documented historic record.
It is interesting to note that on June 19, 1967, the Israeli government passed a resolution offering a return of the captured territories to the Arabs in exchange for peace. The response came three months later, when the Khartoum Arab Summit issued its famous three No’s: “No peace, no recognition, and no negotiation with Israel.” The closure of that small window of opportunity seems tragic in retrospect.
My research has benefited from the works of many scholars and biographers, particularly those who participated in the political and military actions. I’m especially indebted to recent researchers, such as Michael Oren, who enjoyed unfettered access to previously secret sources, including Israeli, Jordanian, and Egyptian veterans of the Six Day War.
For readers interested in further exploration, a list of my primary bibliographical sources appears next.
In writing this book, I had the privilege of loving friends and family, whose enthusiastic support has sustained me along the way. Special thanks to editors Aviva Layton, Natalie Bates, Richard Marek, and Renee Johnson, as well as the professional staff at CreateSpace.
Bibliography
Oren, Michael. Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East. New York: Oxford, 2002.
Segev, Tom. 1967 – Israel, The War, and the Year that Transformed the Middle East. New York: Metropolitan, 2007.
Moskin, J. Robert. Among Lions: The Definitive Account of the 1967 Battle for Jerusalem. New York: Arbor House, 1982.
Schleifer, Abdullah. The Fall of Jerusalem. New York & London: Monthly Review Press, 1972.
Narkis, Uzi. The Liberation of Jerusalem. London: Vallentine, Mitchell, 1983.
Mulligan, Hugh A., et al. Lightning Out of Israel – The Arab-Israeli Conflict. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1968.
Nakdimon, Shlomo. Ahead of the Zero Hour – The Drama that Preceded the Six Day War. Tel Aviv: Yediot, 1968 (Hebrew).
Efrati, Yigael, Dir.: Follow Me – The Story of the Six Day War. Jerusalem: IDF/Israel Film Service, 1969 (VHS).
Teveth, Shabtai. The Tanks of Tamuz. New York: Viking, 1969.
Rabin, Yitzhak. The Rabin Memoirs. New York: Random House, 1979.
Harris, Bill (Director). Yitzhak Rabin – Biography. New York: A&E Television, 1995 (VHS).
Arel, Yehuda. Warrior and Statesman – Moshe Dayan. Tel Aviv: 1968 (Hebrew).
Dayan, Moshe. Story of My Life. New York: Morrow, 1976.
Dayan, Moshe: Living with the Bible. New York: Morrow, 1978.
Meir, Golda: My Life. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1975.
Eban, Abba. Personal Witness – Israel Through My Eyes. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1992.
Sadat, Anwar el. In Search of Identity – An Autobiography. New York: Harper & Row, 1978.
Dallas, Ronald. King Hussein – A Life on the Edge. New York: Fromm Int’l, 1999.
Mansfield, Peter. Nasser’s Egypt. New York: Penguin, 1969.
Lacouture, Jean. Nasser: A Biography. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1973.
Raviv, Dan, and Melman, Yossi. Every Spy A Prince – The Complete History of Israel’s Intelligence Community. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
Raviv, Dan, and Melman, Yossi. The Spies: Israel’s Counter-Espionage Wars. Tel Aviv: Miskal – Yedioth Ahronoth Books and Chemed Books, 2002 (Hebrew ed.).
Katz, Samuel M. Soldier Spies – Israeli Military Intelligence. Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1992.
Carroll, James. Constantine’s Sword – The Church and the Jews – A History. New York, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001.